A wafer transporting apparatus comprising at least one carrier for supporting a substantially circular thin wafer having a flat plane, the carrier including a supporting base for supporting the wafer thereon, and a electrostatic chuck provided in the supporting base and having a contacting surface which face-wise contacts the flat plane of the wafer supported on the supporting base. The electrostatic chuck attracts the wafer so that the flat plane of the wafer contacts the contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck when the electrostatic chuck is energized. A holder holds the wafer at a position which has a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the supporting base. The carrier is selectively transported between a plurality of stations including a work station, fixing device for fixing the carrier transported to the work station at a predetermined position in the work station, and an arrangement for energizing the electrostatic chuck when the carrier is fixed at the predetermined position in the work station and deenergizing the electrostatic chuck when the carrier is apart from the predetermined position.